How to install Windows PowerShell ?

In this first blog, we will look into how install PowerShell on your machine.   If you have Windows Server 2008 R2

or Windows 7, Windows PowerShell is integrated as part of the operating system and you don’t have to do anything to install it.  This is mainly for folks who are in earlier operating system.

Windows PowerShell 2.0 is distributed as part of  Windows Management Framework.  The details of this can be found in the following kb article Described in http://support.microsoft.com/kb/968929/en-us  . 

Windows Management Framework consists of  the following three components

·         Windows PowerShell 2.0

·         Windows Remote Management (WinRM)

·         BITS (Background Intelligent Transfer service)

WMF is supported in the following operating system

OS	WinRM 2.0	Windows PowerShell 2.0	BITS 4.0
Windows Server 2008 R2	Integrated into OS	Integrated into OS	Integrated into OS
Windows 7	Integrated into OS	Integrated into OS	Integrated into OS
Windows Server 2008 SP2	Supported	Supported	Supported
Windows Server 2008 SP1	Supported	Supported	Not supported
Windows Server 2003 SP2	Supported	Supported	Not Suported
Windows Vista SP1 +	Suppported	Supported	Supported
Windows XP SP3	Supported	Supported	Not Supported

You can install  WMF from the Microsoft download site  using the KB968929 to download appropriate installation package.   You need to have .Net Framework 2.0 SP1  for the installation to work.  It is recommended that you install .Net Framework 3.5 if you want to use PowerShell ISE.